This invention relates to animal ear tags, in particular to tags comprising two pieces, namely a piercing male component and an engaging female component, adapted to cooperate on opposite sides of an animals ear.
Two piece ear tags generally comprise a male component having a body portion, neck portion and head portion, and a female component having a body portion and engaging portion to receive the head portion of the male component. The structure of the head portion and its engagement with the engaging portion are a key feature to such two piece tags. It is necessary that the head portion be retained securely in the engaging portion once engaged.
Two piece ear tags require that the head portion is capable of piercing. To achieve this the head portion may include a hard plastic tip or a metal piercing tip. Since it is necessary that the neck portion be flexible this requires some form of interconnection between the hard plastic material of the tip and the flexible material of the neck. This can result in a weak point in the design.
Prior two piece ear tags have had portions which are poorly or inadequately secured in the engaging portion, which fail to consider the issue of tamper-proofing and/or which fail to provide an adequate cutting component on the head portion.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ear tag for animals with at least one of the following features: improved interlocking of the head portion with the engaging portion; tamper-proofing characteristics such that when the two piece tag is pulled apart, the male and female parts are destroyed and they cannot be reused; an improved cutting edge of the head portion; and improved interconnection between the cutting tip and the remainder of the head portion. Alternatively it is an object of the present invention to at least provide the public with a useful alternative form of animal ear tags.
Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provide an animal ear tag comprising:
a main body portion;
a neck portion extending from the main body portion;
a distil end of the neck portion from the body portion forming a base for a tip portion; and
a tip portion connected to the base.
According to a further aspect, the invention comprises a method of manufacturing an animal ear tag comprising the steps of:
providing a main body portion;
providing a neck portion extending from said main body portion;
forming a base for a tip portion from a distal end of said neck portion; and
connecting a tip portion to the base.
Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.